Sailor stars as 15-try St Helens thrash troubled Salford

Betfred Super League

St Helens (38) 82

Tries: Knowles 2, Murphy, Sailor 4, Sironen, Robertson 2, Feldt, Lomax, Percival, Batchelor, Delaney Goals: Percival 11

Salford (0) 0

St Helens kicked off their Super League season with a record thrashing of a youthful and depleted Salford Red Devils at Totally Wicked Stadium.

Tristan Sailor scored four of his side's 15 tries on debut, while Morgan Knowles and Harry Robertson crossed twice each.

Lewis Murphy and Kyle Feldt also scored on their Saints bow, with Jonny Lomax, Curtis Sironen, Mark Percival, Jack Batchelor and George Delaney completing the rout.

Salford named just 16 players in their squad, including eight debutants, because of a salary cap imposed with their takeover still to be ratified.

Saints went ahead inside five minutes when Knowles powered through a weak Salford defence from 10 metres.

Murphy crossed two minutes later in the left corner after a swift team break, but Percival could only convert the first from close range.

A third try in five minutes meant the game was done as a contest when Australian Sailor crossed with an excellent burst of pace and Sironen added a fourth on nine minutes from Lomax's pass.

On 22 minutes, Harry Robertson twisted into the path of Sailor's searching kick to touch down in the right corner for try number five.

Knowles and Robertson grabbed their second tries of the evening before half-time, with the former matching his 2024 season's total in the space of 34 minutes.

Feldt slid over in the corner just a minute into the second half, the try confirmed after a quick check from the video referee and Lomax was next to score as he met Robertson's pass.

Sailor's second and third tries came in quick succession, the first following superb team interplay and the second a dart for the corner on 56 minutes.

Less than 10 minutes later, Sailor added his fourth, strolling through after Alex Walmsley drove forward from a scrum and Percival went over soon after good play on the left, but he failed to convert his own try.

He did end the night with 11 successful kicks from 15, as Batchelor and Delaney added the finishing touches to a performance which offered no sympathy for their visitors' plight.

Post-match reaction

St Helens coach Paul Wellens:

"We prepared for a different game. The circumstances around it, I'm not privy to the information.

"Credit to the Salford fans for coming out and supporting their team. We did what we had to do, we had a great week's preparation. It was a ruthless performance.

"We look fit and energetic. Obviously there will be bigger tests in the coming weeks. We handled today well.

"[Tristan Sailor] was electric. He really enjoyed himself. Super League fans will enjoy watching him this year."

Salford Red Devils coach Paul Rowley told BBC Radio Manchester:

"It is an unfortunate situation. Accountability lies with several people. It is difficult, but the players had a wonderful hand dealt there because they got to have a go at the most decorated side in the league over the last decade.

"It is an awful scoreline and an awful look for the league. Salford fans saw through it, they can apply logic and understand why. The fans were awesome and gave young players a day they'll never forget.

"I shook the players by the hand. They gave their best, Who knows [if it will be resolved by Leeds next week]."

St Helens: Welsby, Feldt, Roberson, Percival, Murphy, Sailor, Lomax, Walmsley, Clark, Lees, Sironen, Batchelor, Knowles

Interchanges: Bell, Whiteley, Wingfield, Delaney, Bennison

Salford: Connell, Fitzgerald, Wagstaffe, Coan, Murray, Morgan, Gatcliffe, Wells, Yates, Hope, Shields, Hutchings, Lagar

Interchanges: Bullock, Hellewell, Chan

Referee: Jack Smith